Surprise in the QG Declined

by ChessBase
11/11/2024 – The line 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7!? is very popular among the adherents of the Queen's Gambit Declined. The knight move has given Black solidity and flexibility. Our author, GM Yago Santiago, recently went in search of a more ‘hidden’ idea for White to surprise his opponents with lesser-known positions. The move 5.Qc2!? caught his attention and captivated him more and more during his analysis...You can check out his opening article from the latest CBM #222 in this week's free reading sample in the ChessBase Books format - right in your web browser on your iPad, tablet, Mac or Windows PC!

ChessBase Magazine 222 ChessBase Magazine 222

2024 Chess Olympiad with analyses by Abdusattorov, Aronian, Giri, So, et al. Blohberger, Werle and Zwirs show new opening ideas in the video. 10 repertoire articles from English to King's Indian and much more!

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"A trendy queen move" – free reading sample from CBM #222

Click one of the following graphics to load the reading sample in the ChessBase books format!

So, here we go: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Qc2!?. The main idea of the queen move is to gain control of the centre with the pawn advance to e4. Sanitago analyses the three main answers in this position: A) 5...dxc4, B) 5...Bb4 and C) 5...Be7.

Santiago: "This idea 5.Qc2!? is perfect for surprising the opponent and quickly posing them difficult decisions to make. Also, as we saw in the article, the line is sustainable enough to be played several times, since practice has not made it clear what the best reaction for Black is. So - good luck with 5.Qc2!? in your games, dear readers!"

Highlights of ChessBase Magazine #222

From the 2024 Chess Olympiad to Jan Markos' “Practical Tips for the Tournament Player” and Dorian Rogzenco's “Modern Classics” to “Fundamental Endgame Knowledge” with Dr Karsten Mueller:

Over 6 hours of video playing time with Felix Blohberger, Martin Breutigam, Jan Markos, Mihail Marin, Karsten Mueller, Oliver Reeh, Robert Ris, Dorian Rogozenco, Jan Werle and Nico Zwirs.

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Video

60m English A solid scandinavian surprise

On this 60 mins video we are going to concentrate on a simple, very solid idea in the main line Scandinavian, which even Magnus Carlsen has used to win games. Black focusses on making his life easy in the opening and forces White to work very hard to get advantage – but it is doubtful if White can get an advantage. Club players are always on the lookout for effective, time-saving solutions and here we have just that. Accompany FIDE Senior Trainer and IM Andrew Martin on this 60 mins video. You can learn a new opening system in 60 mins and start to play it with confidence on the very same day!